Boy and girl who died off the coast of Bournemouth beach drowned, inquest hears

The boy and girl who died in the sea off Bournemouth beach drowned after a 'suggestion' that they got into difficulty by getting caught in a riptide, an inquest has hard.

The inquests into the deaths of Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and Sunnah Khan, 12, from Buckinghamshire, were opened on Monday. The pair has been rescued from the sea during the incident last Wednesday, but both died in hospital.

In a hearing to open the inquest proceedings at Bournemouth Town Hall, Dorset coroner’s officer Nicola Muller said that post mortem examinations carried out showed the cause of their deaths was drowning.

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Joe, a trainee chef, was taken to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital where he was pronounced dead, and Sunnah was taken to Poole General Hospital, the inquest was told.

Ms Muller said that Joe was identified by Detective Constable Hannah Webster by a photograph provided by his family, and Sunnah was identified by her father at the hospital.

Describing the incident, Ms Muller said: “The brief circumstances are that emergency services were contacted by members of the public following swimmers had come into difficulty in the water, following suggestion they had been caught in a riptide.”

Rachael Griffin, senior coroner for Dorset, said: “I understand there is an ongoing police investigation, despite that, I have already submitted the appropriate paperwork and released both Joe’s and Sunnah’s bodies for the purposes of their funerals.

“In relation to that ongoing police investigation, I am unable to make any progress in my inquiries.

“It’s very important people do not speculate on the circumstances surrounding Joe and Sunnah’s deaths and allow the police